Liquid dispenser and closure for bottles



Nov. 8, 1966 l. H. MILLER LIQUID DISPENSER AND CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES Filed Oct. 18, 1965 FIG.

INVENTOR IRA H miLLER.

United States Patent 3,283,966 LIQUED DISPENSER AND CLOSURE FOR BQT'ILES Ira H. Miller, Lambertville, Mich, assignor to Owens- Illinois, Inc, a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 497,201 Claims. ((11. 222-525) My invention relates to liquid dispensers and more particularly is concerned with the provision of a novel combined closure and dispenser readily attachable to the neck of a glass bottle or similar liquid container.

An important object of my invention is the provision of a nozzle-type liquid dispenser in which the nozzle is curved longitudinally and is free to rotate on the axis of the container upon which it is mounted and in this regard is self-directional.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a novel liquid dispenser in which a valved dispensing nozzle is axially shiftable bodily relative to a valve member or stem carried by the container, thereby to alternately open and close a discharge port at an end of said nozzle.

It is also an object of my invention to provide in a dispenser of the above character, a curved tapered dispensing nozzle in combination with a flexible elongated rod-like valve member or stem which normally is perfectly straight, but is flexed by sliding contact with the nozzle interior thereby to effect entry into and withdrawal from a discharge port in the nozzle.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of my application:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the dispenser, the valve member also being shown in dotted lines in its initial normal position.

FIG. 2 is a view like FIG. 1 but with the liner or sealing disk removed, the nozzle tip cut off and the nozzle extended to open the discharge port.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line 33 of FIG. 1.

In its illustrated embodiment my invention is shown in conjunction with a glass bottle 18, the upper end of which has a diametrically reduced circular neck 11, provided externally with screw-threads 12, these intended for holding engagement with threads on the closure dispenser unit, as will be brought out presently. The neck wall terminates in an annular radial rim 13 defining a mouth 14.

The combined closure and dispenser C may well be formed of polypropylene, or some similar flexible, resilient plastic material, for reasons which become apparent presently. This closure and dispenser unit comprises essentially two elements or parts, viz: an inner valve member 15 and a nozzle 16 which encloses said valve member 15.

The valve member 15 comprises an elongated tapered stem 17 or rod, which initially extends axially upward from a cylinder-like hub 18. This hub 18 rises from an attaching skirt 19 or collar having internal screw-threads 20 for engagement with the previously mentioned screwthreads 12 on the bottle neck. A radial annular flange 21 interconnects the base of the hub 18 and the upper end of the skirt 19, said flange formed on its lower side with a series of concentric sealing beads 22 which effectively sealingly contact the aforementioned rim 13 at the top end of the neck. Externally, this hub carries a circumferential bead 23, generally V-shape in cross-section. Such bead 23 preferably is near the upper end of this hub for obvious reasons. The upper end of the hub, internally, has a series of radial spokes 24 (FIG. 3) which create a plurality of liquid flow passageways 25 and a support for the "ice valve stem 17 which rises therefrom at the axis of the hub. This valve stem 17 or rod is tapered to a rounded small free end 26 for entry into the discharge port 27 or orifice at the outer end of the nozzle 16.

This nozzle 16 is hollow and of generally conical form, being curved so that its discharge port 27 at the outer small end is offset radially from the axis of the bottle, with the axis of the port at an acute angle to the axis of the bottle. Internally, the nozzle 16 has a gently curved guiding surface 28 which, as is apparent, aids in guiding the valve stem 17 to its port closing position. The base of this nozzle 16 is a thickened collar 29 having a lower end 30 designed for engagement with the aforementioned flange 21, these preferably having the same external diameter. Internally, this collar 29 is provided near its lower end with an annular bead 31 of V-shape cross-section. This bead 31 cooperates with the bead 23 on the hub 18 in securing the nozzle and valve portions 15 and 16 together, while permitting relative axial movement of these two elements, as is obviously essential. Because of the resilience of the beads, assembly involves simply telescoping the nozzle base 29 over the hub 18. The beads are momentarily deformed but quickly resume their normal form and hold the elements against accidental separation.

Initially, the nozzle 16 has a snip-tip 31a at the discharge end, such being readily sever-able and necessarily so, preliminary to dispensing the bottle contents. Also, there is a sealing liner disk 32 which closes the bottle mouth 14 from the time the bottle is closed following filling, until the consumer wishes to dispense the contents. At this time the liner is removed and for dispensing purposes the nozzle 16 is moved axially away from the bottle, thereby withdrawing the stem from the discharge port 27. The nozzle is freely rotatable on thehub 18 so that it may well be termed a self-directional dispenser, in that it is readily shiftable to any pouring position as determined by the point at which one initially grasps the bottle for dispensing purposes.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a combined closure and liquid dispenser attachable to a bottle neck, a gene-rally cylindrical hub having open ends, means at one end of the hub for securing it to a bottle neck with their axes in alignment, an elongated rod-like valve member extending from the other end of and normally initially disposed coaxially with the hub, said member formed of a plastic material and being laterally flexible, a hollow elongated generally conical nozzle enclosing the valve member and having a discharge orifice at its apex, said nozzle curved laterally in the apex end section and having a coaxial collar at its base end telescop-ed over, and both axially and rotatably movable on said hub, the length of the valve member and nozzle curvature being such that a predetermined degree of longitudinal movement of the nozzle in one direction relative to the valve member laterally flexes the latter to close the discharge orifice.

2. In a combined closure and liquid dispenser as defined in claim 1, the hub having an external annular radial bead and the collar on the nozzle having an internal annular radial rib positioned between the first named rib and the means for securing the hub to a bottle neck.

3. In a combined closure and liquid dispenser as defined in claim 1, the hub at said other end having radial circumferentially spaced apart spokes providing an annular series of liquid flow passageways and a support for the valve member.

4. In combination, a bottle having a circular neck terminating in an annular rim defining a mouth, a closure and liquid dispenser formed of a resilient plastic material and comprising a cylinder-like hub coaxial with the neck, a readily removable mouth-sealing liner between and contacting both the rim and one end of the hub, an attaching skirt integral with the hub and threaded on the bottle neck, a rod-like valve member norm-ally straight and rodlike extending coaxially from the other end of said hub, said member being tapered to a free end and capable of being ilexed laterally, a hollow nozzle of generally conical form enclosing said valve member, said nozzle having a discharge orifice at its apex and being curved in the apex end section with the axis of the orifice at an angle to the axis of the bottle neck, and means so uniting the hub and nozzle that the latter may be moved axially relative to the hub to flex the free end of the valve member laterally and thereby move the latter to alternately open and close the orifice.

5. In combination a bottle having a circular neck terminating in an annular rim defining a mouth, there being an annular radially outwardly extending bead carried by and coaxial with the neck, a combined closure and liquid dispenser formed of a resilient plastic material and comprising a laterally curved generally conical nozzle having a discharge orifice at its apex end, the nozzle curvature being most pronounced near its apex end, said nozzle at its base end having an internal annular rib cooperating with said bead to interconnect the nozzle and neck and allow either or both relative axial and rotary movement thereof, and an elongated rod-like valve member positioned entirely within the nozzle, said member being normally straight and extending coaxially upward from the neck area and being laterally resilient, said valve member having a free outer end portion for entry into said orifice in response to relative axial movement of the nozzle and valve member and consequent lateral flexing of the latter during and due solely to said movement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 184,115 12/1958 Stark 58-7 2,783,0 1 2/1957 Haldy 222189 2,998,902 9/1961 Thomas et a1 222-525 X 3,081,921 3/1963 Di Pierre et al. 222525 3,131,836 5/1964 Van Baarn 222-521 3,162,327 12/1964 Bennett 222-541 X 3,216,630 11/1965 Stull 222521 X 3,221,952 12/1965 De- See 222525 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Examiner. 

1. IN A COMBINED CLOSURE AND LIQUID DISPENSER ATTACHABLE TO A BOTTLE NECK, A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL HUB HAVING OPEN ENDS, MEANS AT ONE END OF THE HUB FOR SECURING IT TO A BOTTLE NECK WITH THEIR AXES IN ALIGNMENT, AN ELONGATED ROD-LIKE VALVE MEMBER EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER END OF AND NORMALLY INITIALLY DISPOSED COAXIALLY WITH THE HUB, SAID MEMBER FORMED OF A PLASTIC MATERIAL AND BEING LATERALLY FLEXIBLE, A HOLLOW ELONGATED GENERALLY CONICAL NOZZLE ENCLOSING THE VALVE MEMBER AND HAVING A DISCHARGE ORIFICE AT ITS APEX, SAID NOZZLE CURVED LATERALLY IN THE APEX END SECTION AND HAVING A COAXIAL COLLAR AT ITS BASE END TELESCOPED OVER, AND BOTH AXIALLY AND ROTATABLY MOVABLE ON SAID HUB, THE LENGTH OF THE VALVE MEMBER AND NOZZLE CURVATURE BEING SUCH THAT A PREDETERMINED DEGREE OF LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF THE NOZZLE IN ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE VALVE MEMBER LATERALLY FLEXES THE LATTER TO CLOSE THE DISCHARGE ORIFICE. 